1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for detecting a test result of each probe zone of a test strip, and more particularly to a method for detecting a test result of each probe zone of a test strip via an image capturing/processing technology.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Over the past decade, there has been an increased need and demand for analysis of various biological specimens, for purposes ranging from pregnancy testing to drug analysis. Considerable time and effort has been expended by way of devising systems and analytic techniques to ensure reliable testing and accurate results.
Moreover, with increasing rise in the use of abuse-type drugs, the need for detecting and identifying those drugs and their metabolites is becoming more important. With this need, many more tests are required to monitor the use of abuse-type drugs.
Thin layer chromatography (TLC) screening procedures for detecting drugs in urine require the careful preparation of a test specimen and then a skillful application of that test specimen to a plate placed into a developing chamber. Once the plate is removed from the chamber and dried, it is sprayed with visualization reagents. Location and color of spots are compared with those of known standards. Qualitative judgements are made as to the presence of various drugs in the unknown sample. The procedure is tedious, time consuming and requires skilled personnel to interpret the results.
The EMIT (Enzyme Multiplied Immuno-chemical Test) procedure is a semi-quantitative immuno-assay for drugs of abuse in biological fluids. The laboratory test requires trained technicians to perform and the equipment necessarily costs several thousands of dollars.
The RIA (Radio-Immuno-Assay) procedure is a sensitive and quantitative laboratory procedure for detecting drugs of abuse. The various immunochemicals are labeled with radioactive compounds and require special care in their use and disposal. A license is required from the government to use this laboratory procedure because of the presence of radioactive materials. The GLC (Gas-Liquid Chromatography) procedure can provide the highest degree of accuracy in drug analysis. However, the necessary equipment is expensive and the procedure is complicated. Consequently, highly trained personnel are required for its use.
Each of these well-known procedures requires skilled technicians and relatively sophisticated equipment. Consequently, the testing procedure is necessarily expensive.
However, the increase of drug abuse has increased a need for new methods of analyzing drug residues in physiological fluid. A drug abuse test paper for testing the presence or absence of drugs in a fluid specimen collected from a test subject is developed. The drug abuse test paper is sensitive to specific drugs of abuse in the fluid specimen collected from the test subject, and has a lack of color change indicating a positive response to a specific drug of abuse in the fluid specimen, and representing the specific drug of abuse present therein. While, a color change indicates a negative response to the specific drug of abuse, representing the specific drug of abuse absent in the fluid specimen.
An introduction of various color patterns occurring on the drug abuse test strip under various testing situations is provided herein. Firstly, referring to FIG. 1A, which is a schematic top view of the drug abuse test strip 10 prior to testing the fluid specimen collected from the test subject. The drug abuse test strip 10 is blank and no color pattern displayed thereon prior to testing the fluid specimen. The dotted lines 11 through 16 respectively represent a probe zone of the drug abuse test strip 10. The top probe zone of the drug abuse test strip 10 corresponding to the site of dotted line 11 displays a color change in response to the fluid specimen, which is used to indicate whether the amount of the fluid specimen is sufficient to move through all probe zones of the drug abuse test strip 10 by capillary action. The color line displayed on the top probe zone is called control line. The other probe zones of the drug abuse test strip 10 corresponding to the sites of dotted lines 12 through 16 respectively display a color change in response to a respective drug of abuse presenting in the fluid specimen. The color lines displayed on these probe zones are called target lines.
Referring to FIG. 1B, which shows a color pattern of the drug abuse test strip 10 having no color change occurring in the top probe zone represented by the dotted line 11, which is under a testing situation that the amount of the fluid specimen is not sufficient to assure the fluid specimen moves through all probe zones of the drug abuse test strip 10. Therefore, in accordance with the color pattern consisting of solid lines 14 through 16 shown in FIG. 1B, the drugs of abuse presenting in the fluid specimen cannot completely detected and identified. Referring to FIG. 1C, which shows a color pattern of the drug abuse test strip 10 having only one color line 11 displayed in the top probe zone of the drug abuse test strip 10. It means the top probe zone has a positive response in response to the fluid specimen. The amount of the fluid specimen is sufficient to pass through all probe zones on the drug abuse test strip 10. All other probe zones represented by the dotted lines 12 through 16 have positive responses to the fluid specimen, and all drugs of abuse corresponding to these probe zones present in the fluid specimen. Referring to FIG. 1D, which shows a color pattern of the drug abuse test strip having color lines 11, 12 and 15 displayed in the top probe zone and some other probe zones of the drug abuse test strip 10, which means the top probe zone 11 has a positive response to the fluid specimen, indicating the amount of the fluid specimen is sufficient, and the probe zones represented by the color lines 12 and 15 have a negative response to the fluid specimen, indicating that the absence of the drugs of abuse corresponding to these two probe zones in the fluid specimen. On the contrary, the probe zones represented by the dotted lines 13, 14 and 16 have a positive response to the fluid specimen, indicating that the presence of the drugs of abuse corresponding to these three probe zones in the fluid specimen.
The top probe zone on the drug abuse test strip 10 has a positive response in response to the specimen fluid, a color response occurs. That is, the control line 11 would display thereon. One of the other probe zones of the drug abuse test strip 10 has a positive response in response to a specific drug of abuse of the fluid specimen, there is no color response occurs on the probe zone. It means the specific drug of abuse is present in the fluid specimen, and there is a highly content of the specific drug of abuse in the fluid specimen. However, one of the other probe zones of the drug abuse test strip 10 has a negative response in response to a specific drug of abuse of the fluid specimen, a color response, i.e. target line, is displayed on the probe zone. The color shade of the target line can be used to monitor the content of the specific drug of abuse or even represents absence of the specific drug of abuse in the fluid specimen. The color shade of each of the target lines 12 to 16 is inversely proportional to the content of a specific drug of abuse to be detected in the fluid specimen. The higher the content of the specific drug of abuse is, the lighter the color shade of the target line is. The content of the specific drug of abuse is inversely proportional to the color intensity, i.e. the shade of color, of the target line. It is difficult to visually determine what certain level of the color shade of the target line representing the presence of the specific drug of abuse to be detected. Therefore, it is not convincing for concluding whether the test subject has used abuse-type drugs.
Accordingly, it is an intention to provide means capable of detecting and identifying the presence or absence of drugs of abuse in a fluid specimen, which can overcome the problems of the conventional methods.